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Dallas Cowboys fans felt the sting of the NFL’s indecision over what a catch is a few years ago. When Dez Bryant’s clutch reception in the divisional round of the 2015 playoffs against the Green Bay Packers was ruled incomplete, the moment forever commented itself into Cowboys lore. Whenever a catch has been questioned since, Dallas and their fans are reminded of it.
It appears that the NFL is ready to remind them of it again. According to what the competition committee is saying now, Dez Bryant’s non-catch would be a catch today.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert is reporting that New York Giants owner John Mara told him that under the new guidelines approved by the committee, non-catches like Bryant’s infamous one are now complete.
“I think where we are unanimous,” Mara told ESPN on Tuesday, “[are] plays like the Dez Bryant play in Green Bay, going to the ground, [and] the Calvin Johnson play from a couple of years ago. I think all of us agree that those should be completions. So, let's write the language to make them completions.”
Roger Goodell has been pushing for yet another change to the rule in recent weeks. Someone pushes for it every year it seems. What exactly the new rule is going to be is not set in stone yet. The committee will be meeting again next month to finalize the new rule.
It doesn't do Cowboys fans any good now, but catches like Dez Bryant’s are going to be legal going forward. However, the catch that prompted the push this time is still up for debate.
“The Jesse James play, I think should be a completion,” Mara said (via ESPN), “but I'm not sure we're unanimous on that. But plays where guys seem to make the catch and then make a football move with it, I think most of us agree those should be completions. Now it's just a question of coming up with the right language.”
It will be interesting to see what the ‘right language’ is this time around.
